Article
Immunology
Florian D. Hastert, Sascha Hein, Christine von Rhein, Nuka Ivalu Benz, Younes Husria, Doris Oberle, Thorsten J. Maier, Eberhard Hildt, Barbara S. Schnierle
Summary: This study analyzed the immune response to the Omicron variant in individuals vaccinated with different vaccines. The results showed that only individuals vaccinated with mRNA vaccines (such as Comirnaty) or heterologous vaccines (such as AZ/BNT) developed antibody levels with neutralizing capacity against Omicron. Additionally, a third booster vaccination significantly enhanced the immune response to all variants.
Article
Microbiology
Disha Bhavsar, Gagandeep Singh, Kaori Sano, Charles Gleason, Komal Srivastava, Juan Manuel Carreno, Viviana Simon, Florian Krammer
Summary: This study investigates the induction of serum IgG, saliva IgG, and saliva sIgA after COVID-19 mRNA booster vaccination or breakthrough infections. Antibodies on mucosal surfaces of the upper respiratory tract have been shown to be important for protection from infection with SARS-CoV-2.
Article
Oncology
Paola Storti, Valentina Marchica, Rosanna Vescovini, Valentina Franceschi, Luca Russo, Laura Notarfranchi, Vincenzo Raimondi, Denise Toscani, Jessica Burroughs Garcia, Federica Costa, Benedetta Dalla Palma, Nicolas Thomas Iannozzi, Gabriella Sammarelli, Gaetano Donofrio, Nicola Giuliani
Summary: The humoral and cellular response to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination is reduced in patients with multiple myeloma. Spike variants, especially Omicron, have a significant negative impact on the neutralizing ability of vaccine-induced antibodies. Heterologous booster immunization improves the response in newly diagnosed MM patients, but Omicron still poses challenges for patients with relapsed-refractory disease.
Article
Immunology
Anna Sabrina Kuechler, Sandra Weinhold, Fritz Boege, Ortwin Adams, Lisa Mueller, Florian Babor, Sabrina B. Bennstein, T-X Uyen Pham, Maryam Hejazi, Sarah B. Reusing, Derik Hermsen, Markus Uhrberg, Karin Schulze-Bosse
Summary: This study describes a diagnostic procedure for scheduling (re-)vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 based on individual humoral immunization status. The researchers monitored individuals before, during, and six months after vaccination with the Spikevax vaccine. The study found that measuring serum-based SARS-CoV-2 antibody levels could potentially support personalized vaccination schedules.
Article
Immunology
Laila Abdelwareth, Farida Alhousani, Rowan Abuyadek, James Donnelly, Andrea Leinberger-Jabari, Shereen Atef, Rami H. Al-Rifai
Summary: This study compares the humoral immune response in individuals who were naturally infected with SARS-CoV-2 and then vaccinated. The results show that vaccination following natural infection leads to a significant increase in SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, particularly ACE2-RBD blocking antibodies.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Gagandeep Singh, Anass Abbad, Johnstone Tcheou, Demodara Rao Mendu, Adolfo Firpo-Betancourt, Charles Gleason, Komal Srivastava, Carlos Cordon-Cardo, Viviana Simon, Florian Krammer, Juan Manuel Carreno
Summary: This study investigates the impact of exposures to SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccine antigens on the antibody response. The results show that binding and avidity of antibodies increase with the number of exposures to infection and/or vaccination. However, cross-reactivity of the antibody response after BA.1 breakthroughs is affected by the number of prior exposures.
JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Edwards Pradenas, Silvia Marfil, Victor Urrea, Macedonia Trigueros, Tetyana Pidkova, Anna Pons-Grifols, Raquel Ortiz, Carla Rovirosa, Ferran Tarres-Freixas, Carmen Aguilar-Gurrieri, Ruth Toledo, Anna Chamorro, Marc Noguera-Julian, Lourdes Mateu, Ignacio Blanco, Eulalia Grau, Marta Massanella, Jorge Carrillo, Bonaventura Clote, Benjamin Trinite, Julia Blanco
Summary: The development of cross-variant neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 is an important goal for COVID-19 vaccine strategies. This study analyzed the neutralization titers of plasma from different groups based on vaccine doses and infection history. Two doses of vaccine had limited efficacy in generating cross-neutralizing antibodies against Omicron variants in uninfected individuals, but showed synergy with natural immunization in convalescent individuals. Booster doses significantly broadened the cross-neutralizing response in uninfected individuals and improved responses in convalescent individuals. Omicron breakthrough infections also improved cross-neutralization in vaccinated individuals. Overall, ancestral Spike-based immunization, through infection or vaccination, helps broaden SARS-CoV-2 humoral immunity.
Article
Immunology
Lea Timmermann, Brigitta Globke, Georg Lurje, Moritz Schmelzle, Wenzel Schoening, Robert Oellinger, Johann Pratschke, Bettina Eberspaecher, Christian Drosten, Joerg Hofmann, Dennis Eurich
Summary: In transplantation medicine, successful vaccination against COVID-19 is crucial for preventing infections and life-threatening situations. This study found that liver transplant recipients' immune response to vaccination is influenced by underlying diseases and immunosuppressive regimens.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jernej Pusnik, Werner O. Monzon-Posadas, Jasmin Zorn, Kathrin Peters, Maximilian Baum, Hannah Proksch, Celina Beta Schlueter, Galit Alter, Tanja Menting, Hendrik Streeck
Summary: According to the research data, receiving two doses of mRNA vaccine along with a booster dose, recovering from a breakthrough infection, or both, provides better B cell immunity. Individuals who received three doses of the vaccine and experienced breakthrough infections with the omicron variant showed a particularly strong B cell response. Additional antigen exposure did not significantly affect the T cell response after two doses of the vaccine. Individuals with hybrid immunity exhibited better correlated adaptive immune responses.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Allergy
Zhangkai J. Cheng, Huimin Huang, Peiyan Zheng, Mingshan Xue, Jing Ma, Zhiqing Zhan, Hui Gan, Yifeng Zeng, Runpei Lin, Shiyun Li, Ruifen Zhong, Siping Li, Hongman Wang, Baoqing Sun
Summary: This study reports on the kinetics, durability, and neutralizing ability of the Sinopharm/BBIBP COVID-19 vaccine-induced immunity, as well as the intensified antibody response elicited by the booster dose. The findings indicate that while antibody levels decline over time, the booster dose leads to a significant increase in antibody levels, indicating enhanced immune protection.
Article
Cell Biology
Prerna Arora, Amy Kempf, Inga Nehlmeier, Luise Graichen, Martin S. Winkler, Martin Lier, Sebastian Schulz, Hans-Martin Jaeck, Anne Cossmann, Metodi Stankov, Georg M. N. Behrens, Stefan Poehlmann, Markus Hoffmann
Summary: The SARS-CoV-2 variants C.1.2 and B.1.621 show increased entry into certain cell lines but do not exhibit increased ACE2 binding. These variants are resistant to bamlanivimab neutralization but remain sensitive to antibody cocktails used for COVID-19 therapy. Furthermore, C.1.2 and B.1.621 partially escape neutralization by antibodies induced upon infection and vaccination.
Article
Immunology
Metodi Stankov, Anne Cossmann, Agnes Bonifacius, Alexandra Dopfer-Jablonka, Gema Morillas Ramos, Nina Godecke, Anna Zychlinsky Scharff, Christine Happle, Anna-Lena Boeck, Anh Thu Tran, Isabell Pink, Marius M. Hoeper, Rainer Blasczyk, Martin S. Winkler, Inga Nehlmeier, Amy Kempf, Heike Hofmann-Winkler, Markus Hoffmann, Britta Eiz-Vesper, Stefan Pohlmann, Georg M. N. Behrens
Summary: The study shows that after a single dose of vaccine, the inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 variants by antibodies is weak and T-cell responses are low, with significant improvement only after the second dose. This calls into question the role of neutralizing antibodies in protecting against COVID-19 after a single vaccination, highlighting the importance of cellular immunity.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Maryam Golshani, Ludmila Maffei Svobodova, Lubomir Stepanek, Jan Zeman, Petra Nytrova, Helena Posova, Petra Petraskova, Olga Novotna, Michaela Novakova, Viktor Cerny, Jiri Benes, Libuse Kolarova, Martin Vokurka, Jiri Hrdy
Summary: The study results showed that younger age group and male healthcare workers had higher antibody levels, and the group that received the third shot vaccination detected the highest antibody levels.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Matan Levine-Tiefenbrun, Idan Yelin, Hillel Alapi, Rachel Katz, Esma Herzel, Jacob Kuint, Gabriel Chodick, Sivan Gazit, Tal Patalon, Roy Kishony
Summary: The study found that the effectiveness of the BNT162b2 vaccine in reducing viral loads of breakthrough infections decreases over time. However, this reduction in viral load can be restored by receiving a third vaccine dose.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sabina Zurac, Cristian Vladan, Octavian Dinca, Carolina Constantin, Monica Neagu
Summary: This study aims to evaluate the waning of immune response after vaccination in SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals, particularly healthcare workers. The research found that the humoral response, measured by specific IgG and IgA antibodies, decreased 2.4 times for IgG and 2.7 times for IgA after 8 months post-vaccination. However, no documented infections were observed in the group. After the booster shot, the levels of IgG increased immediately, followed by an increase in specific IgA.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Vu Thuy Khanh Le-Trilling, Jana-Fabienne Ebel, Franziska Baier, Kerstin Wohlgemuth, Kai Robin Pfeifer, Aart Mookhoek, Philippe Krebs, Madita Determann, Benjamin Katschinski, Alexandra Adamczyk, Erik Lange, Robert Klopfleisch, Christian M. Lange, Viktoriya Sokolova, Mirko Trilling, Astrid M. Westendorf
Summary: This study investigates the association between cytomegalovirus (CMV) and colitis. Using a mouse model, the researchers found that CMV infection in immunocompetent mice leads to changes in gut microbial composition, increased viral replication in the colon, colonic inflammation, and cell death. These findings provide important insights into the relationship between CMV and colitis.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Vu Thuy Khanh Le-Trilling, Andreja Jagnjic, Ilija Brizic, Mareike Eilbrecht, Kerstin Wohlgemuth, Carmen Rozmanic, Alan Herdman, Katja Hoffmann, Astrid M. M. Westendorf, Hartmut Hengel, Stipan Jonjic, Mirko Trilling
Summary: Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) can cause congenital infections with birth defects and developmental disorders. A vaccine is currently not available. In this study, CMV mutants lacking STAT2 antagonists were examined as potential live attenuated vaccine viruses in mice. Vaccination with these attenuated viruses induced strong immune responses, including neutralizing antibodies and antibodies stimulating cellular Fc gamma receptors. Vaccinated mice were fully protected against challenge infections and maternal antibodies were found to be indispensable for vaccine-induced protection against cytomegaloviruses.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Caroline Holtkamp, Lara Schoeler, Olympia E. Anastasiou, Bastian Brune, Kai Fessmann, Carina Elsner, Birte Moehlendick, Ieva Ciuciulkaite, Marcel Dudda, Mirko Trilling, Ulf Dittmer, Joerg Spors, Vu Thuy Khanh Le-Trilling
Summary: Knowledge regarding the sustainability of immune responses after COVID-19 vaccination is crucial for making decisions on booster shots. This study analyzed antibody levels in firefighters six months after receiving the mRNA-based vaccine Comirnaty. The results showed that antibody levels were still detectable in all participants and 91% had neutralizing antibody titers above 1:16 after six months. However, the antibody titers were over 12-fold lower compared to healthcare workers four weeks after vaccination. Age had an inverse correlation with antibody response and participants with a body mass index over 25 had higher neutralizing antibody titers after six months. Booster vaccination improved the extent and sustainability of antibody responses.
Article
Oncology
Simone Stupia, Christina Heeke, Alicia Bruggemann, Anne Zaremba, Beatrice Thier, Julia Kretz, Antje Sucker, Manuel Philip, Gennadiy Zelinskyy, Soldano Ferrone, Alexander Roesch, Susanne Horn, Eva Hadaschik, Dirk Schadendorf, Mirko Trilling, Ulf Dittmer, Klaus Griewank, Fang Zhao, Annette Paschen
Summary: Recent studies have shown that cytotoxic CD4 T cells can kill melanoma cells dependent on HLA class II (HLA-II). This study investigates the evolution of HLA-II-loss tumors that evade cytotoxic CD4 T cell activity and contribute to immunotherapy resistance. The findings highlight the importance of tumor cell-intrinsic HLA-II antigen presentation in disease control and suggest the need to overcome its down-regulation for better patient outcomes.
CLINICAL CANCER RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Vu Thuy Khanh Le-Trilling, Sofia Banchenko, Darius Paydar, Pia Madeleine Leipe, Lukas Binting, Simon Lauer, Andrea Graziadei, Robin Klingen, Christine Gotthold, Joerg Buerger, Thilo Bracht, Barbara Sitek, Robert Jan Lebbink, Anna Malyshkina, Thorsten Mielke, Juri Rappsilber, Christian M. T. Spahn, Sebastian Voigt, Mirko Trilling, David Schwefel
Summary: This study revealed that rat cytomegalovirus infection induces the loss of transcription factor STAT2, which is crucial for antiviral interferon signaling. It was found that viral protein E27 exploits the host-cell CRL4 complexes to degrade STAT2 through poly-ubiquitylation. Furthermore, structural analyses showed that E27 recruits STAT2 through a bipartite binding interface, partially overlapping with the IRF9 binding site.
Article
Immunology
Hana Rohn, Sabine Schramm, Krystallenia Pansikaki, Sarah Jansen, Celina Hendriks, Maximilian Platte, Margarethe J. Konik, Sebastian Dolff, Benjamin Wilde, Lambros Kordelas, Mirko Trilling, Adalbert Krawczyk, Peter A. Horn, Oliver Witzke, Vera Rebmann
Summary: Soluble HLA-G levels are significantly increased in hospitalized COVID-19 patients compared to convalescents, and IL-6 and IL-10 levels are also elevated during COVID-19. The frequencies of membrane-bound HLA-G on immune cells are similar between COVID-19 patients and convalescents, while ILT-2 receptor frequencies are increased during acute infection. This suggests that the increased levels of soluble HLA-G in COVID-19 patients are due to increased expression in organ tissues other than circulating immune effector cells.
Article
Immunology
Mira Alt, Susanne Wolf, Lukas van de Sand, Robin Dittrich, Tobias Tertel, Leonie Brochhagen, Miriam Dirks, Ulrich Wilhelm Aufderhorst, Laura Thuemmler, Mona Otte, Kordula Rainer, Ulf Dittmer, Bernd Giebel, Mirko Trilling, Christiane Silke Heilingloh, Ramin Lotfi, Michael Roggendorf, Oliver Witzke, Adalbert Krawczyk
Summary: This study found that some individuals are capable of producing antibodies that inhibit cell-to-cell spread of herpes simplex viruses (HSV), and these antibodies are associated with a reduced risk of HSV-1 reactivation. The presence of these inhibitory antibodies is significantly correlated with a lower frequency of HSV reactivations.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Olympia E. Anastasiou, Vu Thuy Khanh Le-Trilling, Mirko Trilling
Summary: During pandemics and epidemic waves, the capacity for qRT-PCRs becomes a limiting factor. This study investigates the association between initial Ct values of SARS-CoV-2 infection and the time to test negativity, proposing an adjusted retesting strategy based on the initial Ct value to optimize PCR resources.
DIAGNOSTIC MICROBIOLOGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASE
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Antonio Hrvat, Mathias Schmidt, Bernd Wagner, Denise Zwanziger, Rainer Kimmig, Lothar Volbracht, Sven Brandau, Nina Mallmann-Gottschalk
Summary: This study discovered that malignant ascites has inhibitory effects on the antitumor activity of healthy donor NK and T cells. Imbalanced electrolytes in ascites were identified as crucial factors causing immunosuppression of NK and T cells. Selective inhibition of sodium electrolyte channels can restore intracellular calcium flux and signaling pathways, thereby enhancing immune cell activity. The findings were correlated with poor patient prognosis.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL & CLINICAL CANCER RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Virology
Georgios Tampakoudis, Olympia E. Anastasiou
Summary: This study aimed to evaluate the burden of HPV-related hospitalization in Germany from 2000 to 2021 and the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on it. The results showed a decreasing trend in HPV-attributable hospitalization rates, particularly in cervical cancer and dysplasia, suggesting the potential efficacy of HPV vaccination and screening programs.
Article
Immunology
Vu Thuy Khanh Le-Trilling, Fabienne Maassen, Benjamin Katschinski, Hartmut Hengel, Mirko Trilling
Summary: Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a beta-herpesvirus that commonly causes harm in individuals with weakened immunity. HCMV induces the secretion of pro-inflammatory molecules, including TNF alpha, which binds to two different receptors, TNFR1 and TNFR2. TNFR1 triggers cell death, while TNFR2 promotes cell survival and immune regulation. HCMV infection increases the expression of TNFR2 in fibroblasts, particularly when the ULb' region is present in the viral genome. Mutations in UL148 or UL148D genes impair TNFR2 upregulation and influence the activity of TACE/ADAM17.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Ieva Ciuciulkaite, Winfried Siffert, Carina Elsner, Ulf Dittmer, Marc Wichert, Bernd Wagner, Lothar Volbracht, Frank Mosel, Birte Moehlendick
Summary: This study investigated the impact of single-nucleotide polymorphisms rs12252 and rs34481144 in the interferon-induced transmembrane protein (IFITM) 3 gene on the humoral immune response after COVID-19 vaccination with mRNA vaccines. The results showed that rs12252 had no effect on the antibody response, while carriers of the GG genotype in rs34481144 who received the BNT162b2 vaccine had a lower humoral immune response. Further studies are needed to understand the influence of these genetic variations on the immune response to COVID-19 vaccination.
Article
Urology & Nephrology
Kristina Boss, Susanne Stolpe, Andre Mueller, Bernd Wagner, Marc Wichert, Roland Assert, Lothar Volbracht, Andreas Stang, Bernd Kowall, Andreas Kribben
Summary: This study found that different methods of measuring serum creatinine can affect the diagnosis and staging of acute kidney injury and chronic kidney disease. The study suggests that this impact should be taken into account when interpreting renal function measurements in clinical practice, and that the enzymatic method should be preferred for serum creatinine measurement.
CLINICAL KIDNEY JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Virology
Ziwei Li, Tiandan Xiang, Boyun Liang, Jing Liu, Xuecheng Yang, Hui Deng, Hua Wang, Xuemei Feng, Gennadiy Zelinskyy, Mirko Trilling, Kathrin Sutter, Mengji Lu, Ulf Dittmer, Baoju Wang, Dongliang Yang, Xin Zheng, Jia Liu
Summary: This study conducted an analysis of long-term SARS-CoV-2-specific T cell responses in convalescent individuals and found that the magnitude and breadth of the responses decreased significantly over ten months post infection, suggesting that the robust T cell immunity post primary infection may not be as durable as expected.
